Trolley-head.



B. ELD UPF. TROLLEY HEAD. APPLICATION IILEZD AUG. 11, 1909.

Patented N0v.22, 1910.

untrue snare @ll lli lltllll EDWARD E. DUFF, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON,ASSIGNOE 0F ONE-HIKLF T0 DAVID V.

ACKERMAN, 0F MOUNT WEE-N021,

NASEINGTON.

TROLLE'LZ-HEAD.

era 14.5.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 22, 1910.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, Enwann E. DUFF, a citizen of the United States,residing at cattle, in the county of King and State of l fasl'iington,have invented a new and useful 'lrolley-Head, of which the following isa specification.

lily invention relates to trolley poles, particularly to trolley poleheads and has for an object to provide a device of this character whichwill automatically adjust itself to any curve or obstruction along theover-head feed-wire.

Another object is to provide a device of this character which willmaintain a constant contact with the feed-wire at all times to insure apositive connection between the trolley-head and trolley-pole, wherebythe current may be transmitted uninterrupted to the controller of thecar.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which will besimple and durable and will reduce the cost of manufacture andmaintenance to a minimum.

"With the above advantages and other objects in view, which will appearas the nature of the invention is better understood, my inventionconsists of the novel details of construction and combination of parts,illustrated in the accompanying drawing, shown in the followingspecification and set forth in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 is a side elevation of atrolley-head constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is aplan view of the same. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the trolley-headshowing a portion of the bearing head broken away to expose thebearings.

In a more detailed description of my invention in which like charactersof reference designate similar parts in the views shown, A designates aportion of a trolley-pole and B designates the trolley-pole head in general. The trolley-head B comprises a shank portion 5 extending in axialalinement with the trolley-pole, and an angular bracket portion (3extending downwardly from the shank portion. Rigidly secured to thebracket portion 6 is a tubular bearing head 7 which is disposed on thebracket portion at such an angle that it will lie in a vertical planewhen the trolley-wheel is in operative contact with the wire. The uppersurface of the tubular bearing is undercut to provide an annular grooveor channel 8 constituting a race-way in which are arranged bearing balls9, as shown.

Mounted for rotation in the bore of the tubular bearing head is atrolley wheel support 10 the cylindrical shank 11 of which is sufficientin length to extend beneath the lower side of the head where it isreduced in diameter ano provided with screw threads for engagement witha nut 12 by means of which the wheel-support is retained from jumpingout of the head, should the trolley wheel accidentally leave thefeed-wire and strike one of the guy wires. A washer 14 is located uponthe reduced end portion of the shank 11 and is provided with adownwardly disposed lug 15. The nut 12 is screw threaded upon thereduced end portion of the shank 11 and clamps the washer 14 against theupper larger portion of the said shank 11.

That portion of the wheel support adja- Lent the upper end of the shankis provided with an angular bearing shoulder 16 which projects into therace-way 8 formed in the upper surface of the bearing head and bearsupon the bearing balls, as shown. Extending upwardly from theshankportion of the wheel support are arms or standards 17 and 18, the upperterminals of which are pro vided with suitably alined hearings in whichare journaledthe ends of the shaft of the trolley-wheel or collector 19.

For normally holding the trolley-wheel in the plane of the trolley-polea spiral spring 20, formed from spring wire sufficiently stout toprevent the parts from playing too freely, is disposed beneath andparallel with the bracket portion 6 of the trolley-head. This spring isconnected at one end to a lug 21 projecting laterally from the sides ofthe angular bracket portion 6 and is made fast at the opposite end tothe before mentioned lug 15 projecting from the washer 1 1.

It is evident from the above construction that the trolley wheel will,by virtue of the rotary wheel-support be adjustable to conform to anycurve or irregularity along the feed-wire, and will, at all times bemaintained in positive electrical contact with said wire.

It will be seen that the spring 20 normally holds the trolley-wheel inalinement with the trolley-pole, and will return the wheel to its v 7initial position as soon as the car has passed a curve or obstruction intheover-head feedwire. 7

To prevent the spring from being struck and injured, should thetrolley-wheel fly off the feed-Wire, a guard or fork 22 is formedintegral with the extreme upper portion of the shank of thetrolley-head.The prongs of thefork are bent downwardly intermediate the ends to formarms 23 against which the branches 17 and 18'may strike whereby to limitthe rotary movement of the trolley wheel support. The fork 22 issufficient in compass to permit the trolley-wheel to rotate in an arcsufiicient to accommodate itself to any of the various curves along thefeed-wire. It will be seen that, should the trolley wheel leave thewire, the guy wire instead of striking the bearings or trolley wheelwill strike against the arms of the fork and be directed outwardly fromthe sides of the head.

. From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawing, it is thought that the construction and operationof my invention will be easily understood without a more extendedexplanation.

What is claimed is In combination with a trolley pole, a head comprisinga shank portion extending in axial alinement with said pole and anangular bracket portion extending downwardly from said shank portion, afork at the outer end of said shank portion, a tubular bearing at theouter end of said bracket portion, a wheel support having a shankrevolubly 'mounted in said bearings, said EDWVARD E. DUFF.

Witnesses:

J. D. BAUER, WILLIAM E. FROUDE.

